


Urano Metria

by MarkedMage



Series: The Moon and All Her Stars [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Zutara Week 2020, zuko is so head over heels in love for katara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25501303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarkedMage/pseuds/MarkedMage
Summary: "You gave me the stars."Zutara week, day four: Celestial
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The Moon and All Her Stars [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827331
Comments: 27
Kudos: 199
Collections: Zutara Week 2020





	Urano Metria

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Zutara Week, Day four: Celestial
> 
> Enjoy this gross fluffy mess of whatever
> 
> Thanks to [ZutaraWasRobbed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZutaraWasRobbed/pseuds/ZutaraWasRobbed) for the "Lady of the Moon" headcanon as always (no I will never get tired of using it).
> 
> The title is in honor of Fairy Tail, my most favorite anime. A literal translation is "Measuring the Heavens," which I hope makes sense once you've finished this fic. Please let me know what you think.

_Celestial (adjective): positioned in or relating to the sky, or outer space as observed in astronomy._

~0~

In the years following the end of the Hundred Years' war, Katara has learned a few things. The first: the Fire Nation is a country of proud people with rigid, but rich traditions, and trying to please them all is impossible. She can only do her best, and if they do not like her, then that's something she's going to have to live with.

The second: Always keep one eye open, at all times. In the few years since becoming ambassador to the Fire Nation, and Zuko's significant other, she's had three assassination attempts on her life. She's gotten used to the noble treatment and knows (lesson number one) the dangers that arise after joining the royal household. So she freezes the air in her room, not too frigid enough for her to freeze in her sleep, but cold enough that if another person were to creep into the room, the temperature would increase drastically, waking her instantly. Her decision has saved her life twice.

The third lesson: Zuko is passionate and kind, and loves her with a wholeness that Aang could have never rivaled. Their courtship had raised plenty of questions, from both the Fire Nation nobility and her own tribe, but there's one thing Katara has known to be true of Zuko, and that is once he's made up his mind, nothing can stop him. It had taken a few weeks, and the last assassination attempt, for the nobility to be swayed in favor of their relationship.

But Katara is a waterbender, and like all waterbenders, she's fluid and willing to adapt to whatever the world throws at her. Convincing the nobility, protecting herself from harm, and supporting Zuko as he solidified his control of the nation were all tasks that she willingly threw her all into, and like everything else, they ceded control to her grip in the same way the waves submitted to her will.

Life in the Fire Nation goes like this: Katara is woken up by her attendants, not too early, since they're all well aware of her aversion to mornings and do not want to be subjected to the harsh winter storm she becomes before her morning tea. She is dressed, and led to the royal dining halls, where Zuko and Iroh wait for her. After breakfast, she and Zuko train, and most of the nobility tremble in fear, terrified that the two of them will bring the roof crashing down on their heads.

(Katara has thought about it. But then Zuko brought up the fact that the two of them would have nowhere to sleep, and she regretfully let the notion die. Zuko had nearly swooned with relief.)

After training, she joins Zuko in the main hall, where Zuko takes his conference with the citizens of the nation. The ministers had protested heavily at first, especially once they found out that their Firelord had granted Katara permission to sit in on his meetings without so much of a blink of an eye. Luckily, Zuko had brushed off their protests, telling them that Katara’s opinion, especially that being a hero of war, was far more valuable than the worth of their shriveled minds combined. The ministers had backed off, and the villagers appreciated her input, but every once in a while she finds the ministers glaring at her, eyes burning, whispers of _water tribe peasant_ at their lips. It hurts, but she whispers her mantras of lesson number one over and over under her breath, and reminds herself that it's Zuko’s sunlight gaze on her and the brilliant smiles of the villagers she seeks to please, not the ministers. 

She often tries to help as best as she can, especially when it comes to the working class suffering from drought, or flood, or any other situation that would warrant her help. She does, after all, have sway in the north and south. Being granddaughter of the master waterbender of the North Pole and sister to the Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe does have its perks.

(She heals a family suffering from heat stroke on one occasion. Another, she travels to the outer rim, calling to the rains to help flood the plains surrounding the volcano to help the rice fields. Another time she helps a well run clean after being dry for generations. Slowly but surely, she wins the heart of the people of the Fire Nation, healing everyone she meets with a kind gaze and a gentle touch.

Her name is Katara, Master waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. But unbeknownst to her, she earns another name from the people of the Fire Nation. Master Katara, Lady of the Moon. _The Healer._ )

Once the meetings with the townsfolk have adjourned, she and Zuko take a light lunch in Ursa's garden. This is one of the times that Katara loves the most, when Zuko can let down his hair and loosen his shoulders, where he can grin at her with those gentle, golden eyes, and she can see her boy of fire, the one who helped her raise the Avatar to be the hero he is now. Firelord Zuko may belong to the Fire Nation and to his people, but it is just Zuko who belongs to Katara, and Katara alone.

After their lunch she regretfully must depart from Zuko. He spends the time after lunch locked in debates with his ministers, but Katara spends her time roaming the streets of Caldera City, meeting the people and assisting in any way she can. She digs a new well here, unclogs a kitchen sink there. In the summer, she freezes the town lake so children can slide across the ice, and all the townsfolk gather to enjoy the cooler temperatures of the frozen winterland in the middle of the summer heat.

Dinner is a quiet affair, always spent with Zuko and Iroh. It is a time for the three of them, alone, with no ministers nor noblemen vying for their attention. Despite being busy, Zuko always makes sure to make it to every meal, even if he must scarf down his serving before returning to work. It can be tough, living with a man whose life is dedicated to the world first, but Zuko is a man of honor, and that's something she's always going to love about him.

And at night, Zuko comes to her, as silent as a shadow, slipping in through her doors in the few moments of quiet when her guards switch, or jumping in through her window, which she always conveniently leaves cracked. Nights are spent in his warm embrace, the hard bulk of his body pressed against hers, lips leaving a scorching trail of love down her throat. Nights are Katara’s favorite, because the Zuko that comes to her, in the quiet embrace of dark, is a boy with tousled hair and plain robes, love tattooed into the hard planes of his chest. Nights are Katara’s, when she can forget where she is and who they are, when they are just plain Zuko and Katara, and she can remember when life was simpler.

(Nights are a world of their own creation, a little galaxy they can call their own, breathing in each other's life while the rest of the world sleeps. A little pocket of solitude, their corner of the universe, shared just between themselves.)

He sneaks out every morning in the same fashion that he arrived, quiet as the dawn. A brief press of lips to her temple, a gentle tug of the sheets to cover her shoulders, a run of his fingers through her hair. A whisper of _I love you_ branded in the shape of his lips against hers, and he’s gone before the servants arrive.

(The smell of him lingers though, wrapping Katara in a soothing blanket of comfort as she sleeps, wreathing around her like solid smoke.)

Today is like no other. Katara wakes up, and her attendants greet her as always, helping her dress. She chooses a traditional Fire Nation dress, but it's dyed in the hues of her people. Her hair is pulled off the nape of her neck, secured in a topknot, and she puts the firelily pin Zuko got for her last year in the knot.

( _This is for you,_ he murmurs leaning against her door, holding up the shining pin. He smiles as she gasps with delight, eyes softening as she touches it reverently. _It reminds me of you._

_What do you mean_? she asks, and he chuckles, reaching out and pinning the firelily to her hair. 

_Red is your color.)_

When she opens her door, however, Zuko's warm face is there to greet her. "Zuko!" She exclaims, heart fluttering. She smiles warmly at him, and he takes her hand. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckles, bringing her hand up to his lips and pressing a brief kiss to her knuckles. "Just figured I'd come by," he murmurs. "Would you like to walk to breakfast with me?"

She leans in, kissing his scar softly, and his skin trembles from her touch. "I'd love to," she says, and takes his arm. He leads her down the hall, a warm, comforting presence at her side. They pass servants, who bow low, murmuring greetings, and Zuko greets them all in turn, eyes warm as he identifies them all by name. That's the difference between him and the rest of the nobility, Katara notices. He makes it his goal to know everyone in his household, no matter their rank, from the strongest minister to even the serving boys. No one is lesser in Zuko's eyes.

When they enter the dining room, Iroh is already there, pouring out tea into three separate cups. The strong flavor of the rich black tea hits the roof of Katara's mouth, and she sinks gratefully down next to him, reaching for her cup.

"Thank you Iroh," she whispers gratefully. She cools the tea with just a twitch of her fingers, and inhales the rich tea. Zuko chuckles at her enthusiasm and takes his own seat, fingers automatically reaching for hers under the table. It’s a habit of Zuko’s, she’s noticed, for him to always reach for her when she’s there. A brush of his fingers against her back, a touch on her shoulder after sparring, the barest kiss of fingers at a formal dinner. No matter where they are or where they go, he always reaches for her, like she’s the sun, and he is a man starved.

"There's nothing I love more than a sight of a young person enjoying a cup of tea," Iroh says, handing Zuko a cup. "You've warmed this old man's heart."

Katara laughs, setting her cup aside to read for the steaming bao. "Why Iroh," she says, offering him a bao. "You're not that old."

Zuko coughs, and Iroh laughs heartily. "My dearest Katara," he begins. "You certainly are a joy to have here in the palace. You're like the sun, bringing life to this once desolate desert."

Zuko chokes, and tea shoots out from his nostrils. Katara can't help but laugh, and Iroh joins in while Zuko coughs and splutters.

"Yeah, yeah," he groans, wiping his mouth and heaving into his napkin. "Your Firelord is dying, but carry on with your little comedy show."

Katara rolls her eyes, flicking her hand and bending the excess tea from his lungs. "Oh relax," she says, and he blinks. "You're never in any true harm unless you get on Toph's bad side."

Iroh winks at her. "She's got you there, Firelord," he says, and Zuko groans.

"Alright," he says, raising his hands in surrender. "I give up. Pass the dumplings."

Katara pierces him with a stare, grabbing the plate of dumpling and holding it hostage. "What do you say," she teases, and Zuko groans, but his eyes are alight with merry joy. He sighs, his shoulders dropping, free of tension, and whispers _please._

Breakfast is a quiet affair, and Zuko finishes first. He clears his throat, making Katara stop, and he gives her a regretful look. Katara’s heart skips and falters, because years and months and days living with Zuko, both before, during, and after the war, and she knows that look. Something’s amiss.

"I apologize," he begins. "I received some Intel today that there was a disturbance at the prison, and the guards want me there to check on things.

What wasn't spoken: _I have to make sure my father didn't screw things up._

Iroh sighs. "Shall I be meeting with the townsfolk and ministers then?"

Zuko sighs. "Would you be able to?" He asks, tone thick with remorse. "I know it's super last minute, but I-"

Iroh waves him off, pouring another cup of tea. "Do what you must, nephew. I'll serve as regent while you're gone."

Zuko thanks Iroh, then turns his eyes back on Katara. She's drowning, blue eyes dimmed with sadness, but smiles shakily at him. He reaches out, taking her hand, and squeezes.

"I should be back tonight," he promises. "I promise to try and make it back by dinner if I can."

She sighs. "I know you will," she begins. "I just want you to be safe, and if you go there..."

She trails off, eyes going to the tie on his tunic. One yank, and she can slide it off his broad shoulders, revealing the star splattered across his chest. She looks at the matching scar scored across his face. Two people who caused so much pain, so much devastation, the weight of their sins a permanent mark on Zuko's psyche. And now he's walking right into the prison that holds them both.

(If it were up to her, she’d never let either of them near him again. If it were her, she’d turn them both into stardust and send them back into the heavens above, lost in the abyss, cursed to roam the galaxies forever, far, far away from her beloved.)

His eyes soften in understanding. "I have my best guards with me at all times," he says lowly. His hand squeezes hers, meant to comfort, and Katara grips his firmly, keeping him grounded next to her. "Commander Jee will not let me go there alone. I promise you, he'll be stuck to my side the entire time."

Katara sits back, slightly placated. Commander Jee is well known for being loyal and stubborn, and he was one of the first to pledge his allegiance to Zuko. Next to her family and Iroh, Jee is the one person she can trust with Zuko's life.

"You better come back," she warns. "If you don't, I'm flooding this palace."

He laughs. "What about your bedroom? Where will you sleep?"

She coughs. "I'll figure it out," she says, and he grins, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

He bows to Iroh, and gives Katara one last wave before turning, exiting the dining room in a swirl of robes, and Katara sags in her seat, poking half-heartedly at her plate of rice.

Iroh sips his tea after Zuko's departure. "My dear Katara, you're very quiet. What's on your mind?"

She sighs. Swirling the tea in her cup, she idly bends it into miniature dragons, swirling around in the air, before dropping back into her cup. "It just gets a little lonely sometimes," she begins. She meets Iroh's knowing gaze, his encouraging presence helping her go on. "Without Zuko here, I find myself getting lost in this place. The palace just isn't the same without him."

Iroh nods thoughtfully. "It's hard, trying to make a home in an unfamiliar place," he begins. "Zuko and I had a very difficult time getting used to Ba Sing Se back when we were refugees."

She looks up at him. "How'd you manage it?"

He blinks. "Well," he said. "I had a much easier time getting accustomed to life in the Earth Kingdom. I think I was always meant for a life of simplicity, but not Zuko. The poor boy could never really find his place in the home we made."

Her shoulders drop. "So, you didn't really get used to it."

He shakes his head. "No, we did. It was hard, and it was difficult, but the way we got there was by surrounding ourselves with happiness and love. By finding pleasure in the simple things, and enjoying the ones we love the most. And by never forgetting the things you loved the most about your other homes."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Iroh begins. "I carried my love for my people with me everywhere I went. I am the Dragon of the West, and so, I named my first tea shop the Jasmine Dragon, tethering me down to my love of my nation's emblem. And Zuko? He kept up his sword work, honing the skills Master Piandao taught him so long ago." He takes another sip of tea. "We grounded ourselves on the memories of our homeland, which helped us make a home in a new, unfamiliar land. I give you this wisdom, so that you might find a little piece of sanctuary amidst this strange world."

Katara blinks, and Iroh smiles kindly at her. "You're a woman from the Southern Water tribe," he informs her. "Embrace your heritage. Zuko would never wish for you to give it up. Not for this nation, not for the world, not even for him."

She nods into her tea cup, and Iroh places a hand on hers, squeezing softly. "My child, Zuko loves you very much," he murmurs. "My boy has not had the easiest life, and knows all too well how it must be to be separated from your homeland."

She smiles, taking a sip of her tea. "Zuko loves you dearly, Iroh," she murmurs. "He tells me that you're more like his father than Ozai could ever dream to be."

Iroh's eyes turn sad, wistful, and he purses his lip. "My wife died young, I'm afraid. She left me with my beloved Lu Ten, however, he too, perished before he could see grey hairs. I thought I had lost my entire family to an act of cruelty, but the spirits blessed me with a new son, to love and cherish. I believe, in every way, that Zuko is my son. And Katara, my child, it pleases me immensely that you cherish him as much as I do."

"I love Zuko with all my heart," she tells Iroh, and his eyes shimmer with happiness. 

"I know, sweet child," he murmurs. "I know." 

They sit for a moment more, before Iroh moves, setting the teapot to the side and stretching. "Love is a strange creature," he says, and Katara stands. "I've come to think of it as a gentle typhoon, catching you up in its swirling winds, holding you close for all eternity." He winks at her. "Love is a storm, my dear Katara. One that never lets go."

~0~

She makes her usual rounds in the lower village, accompanied by a few ever-present guards. The villagers greet her, a common sight in the village as she is in the palace. There's Jun, the shoemaker, Tyla, the florist, and Yuqi, who owns the trinket store. It's Katara's favorite place to go, and she makes a beeline for it right upon her arrival.

Yuqi looks up the minute Katara enters, and smiles jovially. "Lady Katara!" She exclaims, hurrying over. Her eyes are bright, and she clasps Katara's hands warmly.

"Yuqi," Katara says, smiling at the older woman. "How are you?"

"Good!" Yuqi says. She hustles Katara over to a jewelry stand, whispering in excitement. "We received a shipment of jewels from traders all over the world. I set aside a few I think you'd like." She points at the stand, and Katara looks, her gaze falling to a beautiful ruby ring, a necklace made of coral and sapphire, garnet earrings and bracelets made of sturdy Earth Kingdom silver. There’s daggers, a knife with a worn handle, and a pile of beads that look achingly familiar. She inches closer.

Katara gasps, eyes falling onto the light blue beads of her people. "Yuqi," she gasps, and the woman hands the beads to her, smiling cheerfully. The beads fall into her hands, as familiar as the water she bends, and she runs her fingers over the smooth bone, the light blues reflecting in her eyes and washing over her with a comfort that she hasn’t felt in some time.

(Zuko’s comfort is warm. He’s like the setting sun, washing over her in shades of yellow and scarlet, a burning warmth and makes her feel whole. This is different, cool, cold, reminding her of the waters around the Southern Water Tribe. Like she’s submerging into the ocean itself, rather than falling into the sun of Zuko’s soul.)

"We got them from the trader in Omashu," Yuqi tells her. "They're from the South Pole, right?"

Katara nods, clutching the beads to her heart. "We hunt by the starlight," she tells Yuqi, rolling the beads over in between her fingers. "We hunt tiger seals by the light of the stars, and boil the bones until they're smooth and unblemished. We get the dyes from the summer flowers that bloom down south, and dye the beads to match the shades of the stars that granted us the means to make them."

A tradition woven deep within the bones of her tribe, as ancient as the ones burned into the Fire Nation. A relic of her people, a testament of their culture, in the palms of her hands, reminding her of snow and ice, of hunts journeyed by starlight and learning to grasp the water by moonlight. It reminds her of soft furs and firelight, and a warm, comforting family, huddled in a house made of ice, surrounded by a perpetual winter.

Yuqi's eyes soften, and she pushes Katara gently. "They're yours, Lady Katara," she murmurs, a gentle smile tugging on the corners of her lips. "Thank you for telling me about your people's customs."

Katara leaves with the beads wrapped firmly around her wrist, and she traces over them fondly. She can never know if the workmanship is Sokka's or not, but it still brings peace to her heart to know that she carries a piece of the south with her.

Later, she stumbles across a healer's hut, and there are a few agonized cries that draw her in. The doctors inside welcome her, graciously shuffling her into the room where two men and three children lay, eyes clamped shut in pain, bellies distended. The air reeks, and Katara sucks in a breath, noting the buckets of vomit. Her hands immediately fly to her waterskin as she takes in the scene, and she steps forward hurriedly.

"What happened?" She asks, settling down next to a young boy, whose forehead is covered in sweat. The boy moans, eyes clamped shut, and his forehead is hot to the touch.

"We don't know, my lady," the doctor says. "These people were brought in this morning. They were by the old well, near the edge of town."

Katara frowns, then pulls some water from her flask, resting a hand on the boy's forehead. "Hm," she says, and brings her hands down to the boy's stomach, which is swollen and taut. He groans, writhing, and opens bleary eyes, whispering _it hurts_ , and Katara runs a soothing hand over his forehead. She turns, looks up at the doctor, and sighs. "It's what I suspected. He's sick from drinking tainted water." 

The doctor gasps, and Katara turns to her guards. "Close off the area around the well," she tells them, and they disappear into the city. She turns back to the doctor, smiles gently, and tells him everything will be alright. Tainted water is an easy ailment to fix, and she quickly heals all five individuals. She immerses herself in the healing process, sinking into the trance of _push and pull_ , letting her senses sink into her water and flow throughout the bodies of the five patients, finding the tainted water within them. She expels it easily, and then works on soothing the inflamed organs, easing the tension and the disrupted pathways of chi. When she’s finished with the last patient, she drops the water, easing from her healing trance and stepping back, sweat pooling in the small of her back. “It’s done,” she tells the doctor, wiping her hands on her skirts. “They just need some rest. Give them dry bread or crackers when they wake, and freshwater.” The doctor thanks her profusely, but she waves him off with an easy smile, and leaves to find the well.

Her guards are standing around it when she finds them, keeping the townsfolk back. "My lady," one of them says. "The well is secure. We've found no trace of poison around the well, however we drew up some of the water, and it smells."

Katara frowns. "Show me," she says, and the guard brings over a bucket. She can smell the rancidness of the water before she sees it, and looks at the brackish water. "Hmm," she murmurs, and pulls the water out of the bucket. It's sluggish, tired, and now that she grips it in her hands, she knows what to do.

"Stand back please," she tells the guards, and they back away immediately. She draws closer to the well, raising her hands, and closes her eyes, reaching for the water and tugging at the little threads at her fingertips. The water sits, quiet and still, in the well, and it doesn't take too long for her to find the floating mess of fur. She sighs, pulling at the water, and she pulls the dead mouse from the well, flicking it to the ground. The little crowd that has gathered gives a collective gasp, but she ignores the surprise and works on purifying the water in the well. It takes a few minutes, but then the well water runs clear, and the villagers cheer.

"You did a good thing here today, Lady Katara," her guard tells her as they walk back to the palace. "Thank you for helping the people." He lays a gentle hand on her shoulder, steering her back to the palace. 

She smiles and nods, fingering the beads at her wrist. "I do what I can for the people who need me," she murmurs, and the guard smiles. 

"We'll always have a need for you, my lady. After all, we'll always need you to take care of the Firelord's heart, now don't we?"

She chuckles, and looks back down at her beads, imagining Sokka's warm eyes gazing down at her. "I wouldn't trust this job to anyone else."

The guard smiles. "Neither would we."

They pass the doctor's hut on the way back to the palace, and Katara smiles when she sees the little boy she healed standing in the doorway, his father's hand on his shoulders. They wave, and Katara calls out a greeting, waving to her as she passes. They call out, saying thank you and _bless you, Lady of the Moon_ , and Katara's heart warms.

(She's reminded of lesson two. Always keep an eye open, at all times. Something she's always connected to those who would want to harm her, but she thinks it applies to everyone who has touched her life. What's that she used to say to Sokka?

_I will never turn my back on people who need_ _me._ )

When she returns to the palace, she finds Iroh alone, waiting for her at the dining hall. His eyes are somber when she enters the room, and she immediately zeros in on the lack of cutlery by Zuko's place. 

"He's not coming, is he?" She asks, settling in her seat. A servant pours her a glass of wine and prepares her a place, and Iroh shakes his head sadly.

"Unfortunately, the poor boy has gotten tangled up in the affairs of the prison, I'm afraid," Iroh murmurs. He waves his hands quickly, as if to placate her, and scrambles for words. "Not that he's in any real harm, my dear lady! Jee has been keeping me updated on the situation, and Zuko is fine. The damage at the prison was substantial enough for him to remain to make sure that none of the prisoners were able to leave. He's securing it as we speak."

She nods, sighing, and reaches for her utensils, selecting a few of the boarpig dumplings that Zuko had added to the menu ages ago once he found out how much she liked it. 

"Is it always this hard?" She asks and Iroh frowns, setting his fork down. "All this waiting?"

Iroh's eyes soften, and he nods, giving a little _ah_ of understanding, and shifts so he's facing her. "Unfortunately, my dear, waiting is one of the hardest things to overcome in love."

She sighs, and takes a sip of wine. "Does it get easier?"

He shakes his head. "Never," he murmurs. But then he smiles, and his eyes crinkle, and the hand he places over hers is gentle and comforting. "But that means the love you have is real, and true, and will never die. That is the price we pay when we love. Waiting, and praying, and hoping with all our hearts that the one we love will always come back to us." He winks. "It's the same way how we miss our home, and keep the memory of it alive in our hearts by carrying a piece of it with us, wherever we go. When we miss the one we love, when we wait and yearn for them to come back to us, it shows that we carry them in our hearts."

It's enough to get her through the rest of the dinner, and she keeps a hand on her wrist, fondling the beads that tie her to her homeland while she makes her home in the heart of the Fire Nation.

~0~

Katara is brushing her hair when there's a tapping on her window, and Zuko's head pops through a moment later. "Hi," he whispers, one hand covering his eyes. "Are you decent?"

She rolls her eyes and gets up. "Come on, Zuko," she hisses playfully, opening the window further so he could sneak it. "You and I have spent the last several months sneaking in through the balconies. Give me some credit."

He grins sheepishly and bends down, cupping her cheeks and kissing her. She smiles against his lips, threading her fingers through his hair and pulling him close, inhaling the familiar hints of incense and smoke on his skin.

"You missed dinner," she points out, once she's pulled away from him. He frowns, eyes darkening with remorse, and sighs.

"I know," he whispers ruefully. "I didn't want to, but-"

She takes his hand and guides him to the bed, where he slumps gratefully against her covers. "What happened?" She murmurs, carding her fingers through his hair and rubbing his neck.

He mumbles into the sheets, then turns to face her, poking one golden eye out from her pillows. "There was an explosion in the kitchens due to faulty pipes. Some of the cells were damaged in the explosion, but the guards were able to contain the prisoners before I got there. Ozai and Azula's cells were nowhere near the kitchens, but I wanted to go and make sure everything was okay."

She blinks. "And?"

Ozai and Azula were safe," he reports. "Ozai, I had nothing to say to. Once I found out he was secure I left him in the hands of his jailors." He winces. "He told me I was a disgrace and a disappointment. It does hurt as much as it used to, but..."

She kisses his shoulder, leans her weight against him. "You're not," she murmurs. "You never could be."

He shudders. "I know," he says. "He's not really my father, not with Iroh treating me more like a son than he ever could, but it still hurts. I wish it could be easier."

She leans against him, wishing she could provide more. "Ozai did cruel things to both you and Azula. Please don't let his cruelty keep you from succeeding. He's not worth it."

He blinks, turning to face her. "I know," he says firmly. "You're right. He's not worth it." His eyes flash. "He can rot in hell for all eternity, and it wouldn't be enough. I just wish the pain he caused didn't have to leave such permanent...scars."

Katara frowns. The scar on his face, the scar on his chest, each caused by Ozai, whether indirectly or by his own hand. She wishes he didn't have to carry the weight of his father's sins, but she likes to think of Zuko's scars as trophies, a testament to the battles he's faced and won. She tells him this, and he smiles, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"Ozai is locked away, secure and safe," he murmurs. "And so is..." He trails off, eyes wandering, and Katara knows who he worries about now.

Katara frowns. "Azula?" She prompts, and Zuko's eyes narrow.

He sighs, and she digs her fingers into his neck, massaging out a knot under his skin. "Bad," he confirms. "She barely said a coherent sentence to me. Twice now she's burnt her guards with flames from the mouth, but I very well can't gag her now, can I? How would she be fed? I just don't really know what to do with her."

Katara sighs. "Maybe we can send for Aang," she suggests, and Zuko stills under her hand. "I'm not saying we should energybend her, but maybe there's something in the Air Nomad teachings that can help her?"

Zuko cautiously shifts to face her. "Like a type of therapy?"

She shrugs. "Yeah," she agrees. "Aang was always preaching about enlightenment and how the Air Nomads would often detach themselves from the world. I'm not saying that Azula should become a monk or anything, but maybe Aang could help her."

Zuko ponders it, his eyes intense and dark. She can see the thoughts running rampant in his mind, a tempest of ideas circling like a thunder of dragons. There's hope in his gaze, hope in the way he clenches her bedsheets wrinkles fanning out in the fabric like veins. His hand finds hers, tentative, fingers threading through hers, and when she looks up, his eyes look almost silver in the moonlight, beseeching and unsure, like the eyes of the child she met in Ba Sing Se who just wanted to figure out where he belonged.

"Can you write to him?" He asks. His fingers squeeze hers, and she marvels at the stark contrast of their hands, the pale markle of his slotted in with the earthen softness of hers, the colors bleeding together in a perfect blend of Fire Nation and Water Tribe.

She smiles, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "Of course," she murmurs. "I'll write to him first thing in the morning." 

Zuko smiles, then pulls her down, hands tangling in her hair as he presses his lips against hers. "I love you, Katara," he whispers, eyes sincere. 

They kiss under the light of the moon, not quite full, trading gentle touches under the silk sheets, and Katara loses herself in the smoke of his skin, the golden suns of his eyes and the heat of his heart pounding against her fingers. His lips sear tattoos of love into the skin of her shoulder, her tunic pulled down far enough, and she's gasping a mantra of _please_ into the darkness of her room.

He pulls away after a bit, chest heaving, and flops against her covers. Katara chuckles, and rolls, eyes roving over his open tunic, landing on the starburst painted across his skin. She tucks herself into his side, fingers tracing the red splattered across his chest, and he grumbles, hand reaching for hers.

"I forgot to ask," he says, tracing her fingers. "How was your day?"

She laughs. "Good," she replies. "I visited one of the city's healing houses. A few of the citizens had drunk water from a well where a mouse had fallen in and died. I helped settle their stomachs and then purified the well."

He kisses her hair. "I'm so proud of you," he says. "You've done so much for my country, I can't thank you enough. Especially when you're so far away from your own."

She pushes herself up, looks down at Zuko, his golden eyes shining in the moonlight. "Hey," she says, reaching for his hand. He takes it without question, and she pulls him up. "Come here, I want to show you something."

They get out of bed, and Katara pulls them out to her balcony. The moon is a silver half coin, illuminating the balcony and the gardens below, but the stars shine brightly overhead, twinkling in the moonlight.

"I know you think that it must be strange for me to be in this country sometimes," she says, settling down. Zuko sits next to her, his arms immediately coming up around her, holding her close. "But Iroh told me that I can still find parts of my homeland in the Fire Nation, find things that keep me grounded here that remind me of home."

Zuko's thumb rubs comfortingly at her shoulder. "And have you?" He asks, chest rumbling.

She smiles, and points up at the sky. "During the winter, the moon is out during the day, and the sun stays hidden behind the horizon. Because it's hard for us to travel in the dark, as well as hunt and perform our daily chores. So we got used to identifying specific star patterns to find our way across the ice." Zuko's eyes follow her hand, and she traces out a wolf, a polar dog, and a koi. "The she-wolf of the frozen seas points the way South, towards home. When we're lost on the ice, or far away from the tribe on a hunting trip, we look for the she-wolf to find our way back."

She finds the polar dog. "Nanuq," she says. "Only appears after midnight. We use him to keep track of the days going by." She points north, finding the koi fish, and traces the outline of the fish through the stars. "The great koi shows us the path north. The waters north of the tribe are always rich in fish and tiger seal, and Sokka and I would always find the koi before we went out for a hunt."

Zuko hums, looking back up at the sky, eyes finding the constellations as easily as Katara pointed them out. "Wow," he murmurs. "I never realized the stars held so many memories, so many lives from so far away. Thank you for telling me this."

She snuggles into his side. "I'm happy here with you," she murmurs. "And I'm all the more happier knowing that the same stars are above my head, and that everyone I love lives under the same sky."

She looks back at Zuko, finds him studying her with dark eyes. "I'm telling you this because no matter where I go, those are the same stars I see in my homeland. There's the she-wolf, there's Nanuq, and there's the koi. Of course I miss home, but I find comfort in knowing that I can look to the stars that shine down on Sokka."

Zuko kisses her cheek. "I don't have any stories about the stars," he confesses, looking up at the she-wolf. "But my mother used to tell me stories about the beginning, when Agni and Tui chased each other in an eternal dance across the sky, and how Agni died each night so that Tui could live, and how Tui breathed life into Agni every morning at dawn." He looks down at Katara, eyes fond, and squeezes her hand. "My mother would have been very happy to hear your stories if she were here."

Katara tucks herself into Zuko's shoulder. "I believe I would have liked your mother very much."

He tightens his hold on her. "I know you would. My mother was a woman of strength and honor, and she would have cherished the power of your spirit. But here's something, Katara," he says, and cups her cheek. "I find peace in knowing that I carry a piece of my mother with me wherever I go. You hold your family in your heart, and I hold mine."

Katara kisses his hand. "And I carry your heart."

Zuko leans into her, and they linger in the shadow of the moon. He kisses her softly, hands cupping her cheeks, and Katara leans into the heat of him. Under the starry sky that houses the entirety of her family, scattered across the globe, Katara surrenders her heart in the core of the Fire Nation, letting a boy of fire settle in her soul.

Zuko nudges her back to the bed, where she falls, gracefully, against the satin sheets. Zuko crawls over her, eyes burning, and his weight is deliciously heavy against her. She arches into him, and he nuzzles along her throat, kissing at the pulse under her chin.

"Zuko," she sighs, and he smiles, lifting himself up to kiss her, cup her cheeks in his hands, and caresses her skin. He pulls away, smiling down at her, and brushes his nose against hers in the way her people do when it's too cold. It warms her heart.

(There are many traditions of the Fire Nation, Katara remembers. Ones that she’s still learning, and others that she’s yet to find out. But there are traditions of her people too, ones steeped in culture and ancient lore, ones that have built Katara up to be the person she is. Ones like the band tight around her throat, others like the beads draped around her wrist. Some like the women of the North, tied down by laws and learning to break free, and others like this, a simple intimacy, the brush of Zuko’s nose against hers. There are many traditions of the Fire Nation, Katara has learned, but it warms her heart that Zuko is set on learning the traditions of her people with as fierce of a drive as she is to learn his.)

"It's late," he murmurs. "May I stay here?"

She smiles, rolling over and making room on the mattress. "Come here," she says, patting the sheets, and he curls into her from behind, looping one wiry arm around her waist. He kisses the back of her head, pulls the sheet over their bodies, and links their hands together over her warm stomach.

"I love you," he tells her, and she hums, snuggling closer to his warmth.

She loves Zuko, with a clarity as sharp and lucid as the water she bends, and knows every fiber of her being belongs with him. No matter where she goes, or where she ends up, her heart belongs to Zuko now.

~0~

It becomes a nightly routine for them to meet under the stars. Katar pulls him out to the balcony, arms piled high with pillows and blankets, and they cocoon themselves in sheets under the watchful eye of Tui.

"That's Hama," Katara says, pointing to a cluster of three red stars. Zuko squints, looking up, and Katara watches the starlight twinkle in his eyes, reflecting the heavens above.

"What South Pole legend does she entail?" he asks.

She shakes her head. "She doesn't have a legend," Katara says, and Zuko frowns, looking at her. "I made it up. She was a waterbender from the South Pole that we ran into on our travels."

Zuko's gaze is heavy on her, studying her as she looks at the stars. His fingers brush against her shoulder, soft and hesitant, and if she were to look, she'd find him watching her carefully, questions pooling in the suns of his eyes. But he doesn't ask, not if she wants him to, but just keeps his hand on her skin, offering comfort and support.

"She taught me bloodbending," Katara begins, and Zuko sucks in a breath. She told him about her special skill, after witnessing it so many moons ago, but she's never told him about the woman behind the secret form, not until now.

"She'd been a prisoner in the Fire Nation, taken because of her bending," Katara says. "She did some pretty horrendous things to the people of the town she was living in. And to this day, I can't really forgive her for using such an underhanded way to teach me bloodbending. She had such a horrible past, and she was such a strong person for surviving the horrors she went through."

Zuko's quiet. "Is she...?"

Katara shakes her head. "We never saw her again. I'm assuming she's dead- she would have never let herself be imprisoned again, not what she went through." Katara looks at the stars once more, finding the cluster she dedicated to the waterbender twinkling above. "Hama was a terrible person, in the end," she murmurs. "But I can understand what drove her to madness. I can't agree with it, but she deserves someone who won't forget her, no matter what she did."

Zuko's fingers stroke along her skin. "I'm proud of you," he murmurs. "You've always seen the good in people, even the worst of us. It's one of the things I love the most about you."

She wipes at her face, dashing away the few stray tears that have gathered at the corners of her eyes. "She taught me many good things I never would have learned from the North," Katara says. "And she reminded me of home, for at least a little while. I don't want to remember her for all the terrible things she did."

They sit quietly for a moment, Katara sinking into the depths of the past, drowning in memories of a woman from the South, with dead eyes and a heart shattered to dust. Of water at her fingertips, blood in her soul, and the pull of her heart to Hama's, a desperate plea to pull the woman from the depths of depravity. The failure, the death in Hama's eyes as they led her away, the silent resolve in Katara's soul to not let her fall the same way Hama did. Her promise, to try and fix the world and restore Hama's honor.

Zuko nudges her. "What are some other constellations?" He asks, and she flashes him a grateful smile. He knows her well, well enough to understand when she doesn't want to talk about something anymore, when she doesn't want to dwell on the pains of the past. Her heart swells, and she wonders if she'll ever reach the boundaries of her love for him, if there even is a limit to her love.

“That’s Kuruk,” she tells him, pointing out the shape of a man racing across the sky. “Those three little stars-right there-, that's the wolfpelt on his back, and right there- see? That’s his spear.” 

"I can't see him," Zuko says, and she sighs, reaching for his chin and turning it so his gaze reaches a little higher in the sky. Already, her soul is settling, finding that peace that always seems to grasp at her whenever Zuko is around. Nothing can best it, not the memory of a crazed waterbender, nor the darkness of war. Zuko is a star, her star, shining away the terrors that would plague her. 

"There," she whispers, lips kissing at the shell of his ear. His breath hitches in his throat, pulse flutters at the touch of her fingertips, and she smiles. "Can you see him now?"

Zuko turns his glittering gaze on her, the night sky reflected in the depths of his gaze. "Maybe," he murmurs, and she laughs.

"You're not even looking, Zuko," she says, but he ignores her, leaning in and kissing her softly, his lips achingly gentle against hers. Her hands find his hair, running through the thick raven strands at the base of his scalp, and he crumbles, chest rumbling as he pulls her close.

When they break away, Katara's heart is racing, and there are comets dancing in Zuko's eyes. His fingers trail over her skin, like little rivers of warmth and starlight bursting over her as they trail their way up her arms, up her throat, settling on the curve of her cheeks.

"I love you," he tells her, and she presses her forehead against his, closing her eyes, breathing in the smoke and sunlight that clings to his skin. "You do know that, don't you?"

She nods. "How could I not?" She murmurs, leaning in closer to his warmth. He lets go of her face in favor of wrapping his arms around her, and she shifts so that she's leaning comfortably against him. 

He looks up at the stars. "I remember the story of Kuruk," he murmurs, finding the constellation of the ancient Water Tribe Avatar. "The Avatar before Kyoshi. My mother used to tell me stories about them." He looks down on her, gaze gentle, soft. "Kuruk was the one who lost his love to Koh, the Face-Stealer, right?"

Katara nods, shuddering. She recalls the horrified look on Aang's face after visiting the ancient spirit. "Yes," she murmurs. "He lost Ummi, and spent the rest of his life hunting Koh down, forever searching for a way to be reunited with his love."

"That's admirable," Zuko says, and his arms tighten around her. "To love someone that fiercely, to be willing to sacrifice anything in order to see them again."

She kisses his throat. "You did the same for me," she says. "You took lightning for me."

"And I'd gladly do it again, if it kept you safe," Zuko informs her. He looks back up at Kuruk, and smiles. "Kuruk was a pain of an Avatar, if memory serves," he murmurs. "But I can understand him. I see a bit of myself in him, to be honest." He turns that sunlight gaze down at her again, and she sucks in a breath as he leans down, pressing his forehead against hers. "We would do anything for the people we love." 

She smiles, and they sit there for the rest of the night, curled up under the stars, and Katara sighs into the column of Zuko's. He kisses her temple, whispers _I love you_ into her skin, and Katara loses herself to the night, where she is just Katara, and he is just Zuko.

A boy and a girl. Under the stars, with nothing but love in their eyes and the heavens above their heads. Just like it's always supposed to be.

~0~

The full moon arrives a week later, but the sky is gloomy and overcast on the day of it's arrival, torrential rain pounding against the roof of the palace. Katara feels her entire body thrumming with energy from the moon's power as day turns to night, but without the moon illuminating the sky she feels her mood turn sour. 

Rain at night is never Katara's favorite. Even though the rain is her element, obscuring the spirit of her people sends a damper on Katara's psyche, so she holes herself up in her room all day, refusing to come out, even when Zuko knocks at the door. It's a bit petty and childish, but the gray sky and ominous clouds make her feel listless, yet the moon's energy makes her restless, and the combination of both has her feeling completely out of sorts.

It doesn't rain in the South Pole. The moon stays full in the sky, without clouds to mar her presence. Even when it snows, the clouds always recede at night, and she remembers the glow of the moonlight on the ice, when the world turns silver and blue. She and Sokka spent so many nights under the stars, huddled in their furs around the campfire. She remembers how they always competed to find the she-wolf first, and then Nanuq, and the Koi.

She misses Sokka. Last she heard, he was traveling back and forth from Kyoshi Island as Suki finalized her retirement and worked on finding her replacement. No doubt they've settled in the tribe by now, and Katara should write and see how they're doing. She touches the bracelet at her wrist, fingers thumbing over the smooth beads carved from the love of her people, and tries not to let the yearning of her heart overwhelm her, but she feels a few years worm their way down her cheeks. She dashes them away furiously, drawing her legs closer to her body, and stares out the window, wishing she could see the moon and her stars, the stars of her people.

If it were clear out, she would have wandered out to her balcony, seeking the constellations that would provide her comfort. The she-wolf first, because that's the first one she and Sokka would look for, and then the bear, and the Koi. 

But she can't, not tonight. She can feel the moon high above her head, the energy thrumming through her body, but the clouds obscure the moon and her stars, and Katara misses them.

A knocking on her door alerts her, and she pokes her head cautiously out of her bed. "Yes?" She asks, and the door opens. 

Zuko slowly pokes his head in, eyes soft. "Hey," he murmurs, slipping into her room and closing the door with a soft click. "How are you?"

She shrugs and looks away, and he makes his way over to the bed, settling softly down next to her. "I remembered that it's a full moon tonight," Zuko says, laying a soft hand over hers. "But with the storm, it's probably upsetting you that you can't see it, can you?"

She nods, and Zuko leans in, wrapping her in a hug. "It makes me miss Sokka," she murmurs. "And I can't even see the stars."

Zuko presses a kiss to her hair. "The stars are still there for you," he says. "I know it hurts that you can't see them, but they're still there, and Sokka can still see them where he is."

She leans into his shoulder, breathing in his warm scent. "I know," she murmurs. "I just wanted to see them, to try and feel better. I'm sorry," she pulls away, looking up at Zuko's warm gaze. "I know how much of a bummer I've been today."

Zuko shakes his head. "Don't apologize," he says. "We all have our ups and downs, that's nothing to be sorry for." He kisses her forehead. "When I was first banished, I used to long for the Fire Nation while I was searching for Aang." He sighs. "After several years, I admit there were times where it felt hopeless and I thought I'd never get my honor back. I know it doesn't compare to you, but I understand how you feel."

She sighs. "It just would have been nice to look at the stars tonight," she murmurs. 

He's quiet, and then he's pulling her out of bed. She looks up at him, bewildered, but he pulls her to her wardrobe and reaches for a robe at random. "Get dressed," he urges, thrusting a handful of blue silk at her. "I'll wait for you outside your room. I want to show you something."

Katara frowns. "Zuko, what-"

He shushes her, pecking her on the lips once, twice, before pulling away. "It's a surprise," he says. "Just come once you're ready." He breathes, and then he's gone, closing her door behind him with a flick of his robes.

She gets dressed quickly, tying the blue robe hastily around her body. She ties her hair back, securing it in a topknot, and makes sure her mother's necklace is secure around her throat before shuffling to the door. Zuko waits behind it, and his eyes brighten when she appears.

"You look beautiful," he murmurs, taking her hand and kissing her fingers. "Come with me."

"Zuko, where are we going?" She asks. He grins at her, tugging her down the halls, and doesn't say a word. They pass silent guards and a few servants, who all bow and whisper in hushed tones as they pass, but none give up Zuko's secrets.

He pulls her down to the main hall, past the royal dining area and the courtyard. "Zuko, what-" she begins, but then her question dies in her throat when he pulls her into the throne room.

"Well?" He asks, eyes glowing like twin suns in the candlelight. He smiles, softly, and squeezes her hand, pulling her in all the way. "What do you think?"

Katara's heart is fluttering in her throat, and she stares up at the ceiling in wonder. They're all there. The she-wolf of the frozen seas, snarling Nanuq, and the Koi of the North, hovering in the air above her, sparkling candles suspended in glass orbs hanging overhead. These are the star patterns of her people, the night sky suspended above her head.

"Zuko," she murmurs. "What is this?"

He sidles up to her, one hand wrapping around her waist and settling on her hip. "I know you said that you love the stars and they comfort you," he begins, looking up at the ceiling. The hundreds of candles twinkle in their glass orbs, wreathing him a golden halo, setting him on fire in a golden blaze. "I figured, on a night of the full moon, you'd have an enormous amount of energy, but with the clouds covering the sky I thought I would bring the stars to you." He searches her face anxiously. "Do you like it?"

Katara pulls him down, kissing him fiercely. He starts, but sinks into the kiss almost immediately, his lips parting and breathing her in. She tastes sunlight and smoke on his tongue, and pulls him closer, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him as close as she can. 

"I don't know what to say," she says, when they break free. Zuko's chest is heaving, and his heart is pounding out a frantic rhythm under her fingertips. "Zuko, this... This is-"

"I want you to know that I'll always be there for you," he says abruptly. "I know how much the stars and the moon means to you, and I wanted to do something special for you to show you how much you mean to me."

Katara pulls away, looks up at her makeshift sky and twirls under the candles. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen," she says. "Thank you, for making my night. This is perfect."

"It's not quite over yet," Zuko says behind her, and she frowns. Curiosity gets the better of her, so she tears her gaze off her stars and turns.

When she looks back at Zuko, he's kneeling on the floor, and in his hands are two golden armbands, which he profers to her. When she draws closer, he stands, offering them to her. She takes them, marveling at the weight of them in her hands, and studies the creatures carved on the gold. There's her she-wolf, her polar dog, her koi fish, and a snarling dragon curling across the golden cuffs. These cuffs aren't just for decoration, she realizes. In a fight, they'd be handy for warding off attackers who could get inside her defense.

"Tradition dictates that men of the Water Tribes carve a necklace for their betrothed," he whispers, and Katara gasps. He inches closer, eyes dark and intense. "I'm no member of the Water Tribe, but I wanted to propose to you in the traditions of your people. You already have a necklace," he says, eyes dropping to her throat and back up to her face. "I would never deny your your birthright and the memory of your mother. I remembered you always had your wrists covered when we traveled. These cuffs can go over your dress as a decorative piece, as well as protect you from harm if an attacker were to get inside your guard," he frowns. "Not that I believe you're in danger or anything. I wanted to give you something that you could wear everyday, something that I could carve and show the world that I love you, Katara, in every way, shape and form."

She closes her eyes, and he leans in, kissing her forehead. When she opens her eyes, she meets Zuko's anxious gaze. She slides the armbands over her wrists, the gold fitting snugly over her skin like a shining plate of armor, and the constellations of her people glint up at her. The dragon curls around her right wrist, and she runs a finger over the smooth etching of its wings.

"Mother used to tell me of Agni and Tui," he murmurs. "How Agni chased Tui across the sky and how Tui would give him the breath of life every dawn. I used to think those stories were old wives tales, childhood fairy tales, but now I realize that they have some semblance of truth." He leans in, fingers running over the gold on her wrists. "Maybe I am the sun, and you are the moon," he whispers. "Because I would die every day just to see you happy, Katara, and the very thought of seeing you again would be enough to keep me going." He kisses her cheek. "What do you say, Katara?"

She blinks up at him. "You hung the stars in the sky for me," she breathes. "Somehow you always know how I'm feeling even when no one else does, and you do _things_ that automatically makes me feel better. I don't know how you do it."

He squeezes her hand. "I stayed in the Fire Nation to protect the people of the world and try to keep the peace," she says. "But that changed when I realized that it wasn't my love for the people that was tying me here, it was my love for you." Zuko smiles, his fingers twining with hers, sending sparks rushing through her skin and setting her alight with his love. "You gave me the stars. That means more to me than you can possible realize, Zuko. And I love you, so much, with everything I have." She takes a deep, shaky breath, and looks up into his burning eyes, feeling the clarity in her heart, as clear as rushing water. "Yes, Zuko," she says. "I wilI marry you."

His eyes brighten, and he whoops, wrapping her in a hug and whirling around. "Agni, Katara," he breathes, kissing her deeply. "I love you so much." He peppers kisses all over her cheeks, and she laughs, throwing her arms around his shoulders as he twirls her about.

"I love you too, Zuko," she says, and leans in, cupping his cheeks and kissing him softly. He wraps his arms around her, holding her close while he traces a new pattern of constellations over her lips. 

He pulls away, and reaches into the folds of his robe. "Technically, we need to hold a coronation ceremony after the marriage in order for me to officially give this to you," he says. "But it's yours anyway." He pulls his hand out, and Katara spies the crown of the Firelady clenched in his fingers, the gold glinting off the candlelight. He reaches for her topknot, fastening the crown in her hair, and steps back.

"There," he declares. "A crown worthy enough for you." 

She touches the crown, feeling it's weight on her head. "I'm nervous," she admits. "It's daunting to become the leader of the Fire Nation. Is this how you felt when you were crowned?"

He laughs, stepping in and taking her hand. "Worse," he says. "I think I threw up. Twice. You're off to a much better start than me."

She laughs, then leans up and kisses him. " Well, no matter what," she says. "We have each other, and that's what counts. No matter what happens, I am content knowing that you'll be there beside me, come what may."

He grins. "Always."

There are some things that they don't tell you, Katara realizes. Things about life, and love, and what follows. Katara has lived in the Fire Nation in the years following the Hundred Years' war, and her time spent in this country is vastly different than her own. In the South Pole, Katara was sheltered, isolated, a lone iceberg adrift in the ocean. But years of living on the run, traveling through the world, has exposed her to many different places, many different people, and Katara feels enriched by the places she's been and the experiences she's gained.

(And the people she loves.)

But there's something about the Fire Nation that puts all others to shame. Katara has learned many things throughout her travels, but none speak as much to her heart as the lessons she’s learned living in the Fire Nation.

Lesson one: the Fire Nation is an ancient culture, rich in traditions and filled with many wonderful people. Katara loves the Fire Nation, and she loves Yuqi and Iroh, and her guards and all the citizens of the lower city who greet her warmly whenever she visits. She loves Zuko, who protects this rich nation and its rich culture, and she loves his warmth, how he can reach deep within her and fill her up with happiness just from the heat of him. Maybe she can't make everyone love her the way he does, but she thinks of Yuqi, and Jun and Tyla, and Iroh. She can't make everyone love her, but she's certainly got plenty of people who do already.

Lesson two: always keep an eye out for those who would do her harm. She decides to amend this lesson, because in the recent days, she's found that she has to keep an eye out for those in need, rather than those who want to hurt her. She'll always make sure she stays safe, keep alert, but she finds that making sure the villagers around her are well and happy take priority. So keep an eye out, for those in need, because that's what Katara does best. Just a girl, who wants to help those who need her.

And finally, lesson three, the most important lesson of all: Zuko loves her. It's something she's always known, the fierce love he carries for her is evident in the smiles he sends her way, the soft kisses he brushes over her temple, in the way he listens to her stories and figures out what makes her heart beat. It's evident in the way he strung candles in the ceiling to match Katara's stars.

Three lessons, one love. How easy life is, she muses, once she's figured out what she needs to learn. 

But there's more to learn, she thinks, stepping in close and leaning in to Zuko's warmth. She'll never stop learning from lesson number three, because there's still so much more she needs to know. So much more love she needs, and wants, from Zuko. 

(After all, they have the rest of their lives for it.)

She fingers the soft gold at her wrists, and looks up at the ceiling, finding the she-wolf of the frozen seas easily. _Home_ , she realizes. _I've found it at last_.


End file.
